2014 Audi A3 Sportback - Web Exclusive

No, it’s not coming to America.

The new Audi A3 will be present at next week’s Paris Motor Show in Sportback form. It’ll have five doors and a freshly revamped design. Unfortunately, and expectedly, we won’t be getting the Sportback on our shores.

American’s just don’t care about hatchbacks, it’s always been this way, so instead, we’ll be getting the A3 Sedan. We’ll have more on that model soon.

The Sportback is “long and lean,” according to Audi. Though don’t get too excited, it’s still not as small as the last generation, if it was, you could color us impressed.

However, the new five-door model is only 35 millimeters longer between the axles than the three-door version, and that’s actually something to write home about, especially when most new cars grow in drastic spurts.

The numbers get even better! The five door, when equipped with the 1.4 TSFI engine, tips the scales at an almost unheard of 2656 lb.. Seriously, there are only a handful of cars weighing that little produced today. If only they could make it that light with a quattro drivetrain…. This lightweight is thanks largely to Audis ultra lightweight design principle, saving as much as 200 lb. compared to the previous model.

We wouldn’t really call the A3 a performance car, but of it’s motor options, of which there are three, the 1.8 TFSI is the quickest. It churns out a modest 180hp and will jaunt to 60mph is 7.3s while topping out at 144mph. The funny thing is it gets the worst fuel mileage of the bunch, but it’s still pretty stellar at 42mpg! This might just be the most fun and economical car to be released in the near future, at least affordably. Do you smell an A3 Sportback Cup? Hmm…

For those looking for even better efficiency, the 2.0 TDI gets the job done with 150hp and nets 63mpg, while only taking just over a second longer to get to 60mph. Past that is the 1.4 TSFI, the lightweight, making 122hp and getting 57.6mpg.

Either way, at least for Europe, the A3 Sportback sounds like it’s going to be a hit, in any trim. It also seems like it’d be a great fit here in the US to compete with buyers looking for something nicer than a Prius, so hopefully the sedan doesn’t let us down.